Gerbera plant named &#39;Garsweetmemo&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Garsweetmemo’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with pink-colored ray florets; upright and strong scapes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GARSWEETMEMO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Garsweetmemo’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact garden Gerbera plants with numerous attractive inflorescences, resistant to cold temperatures and good garden performance.

The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination made during the spring of 2011 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number 11T0675, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number 07T029, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands during the summer of 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by cuttings in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since the autumn of 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Garsweetmemo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Garsweetmemo’ as a new and distinct Gerbera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences with pink-colored ray florets.     -   4. Upright and strong scapes.     -   5. Good garden performance and relatively tolerant to cold         temperatures.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Gerbera have more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in inflorescence size as plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerbera hybrida ‘Garheart’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,031. Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of ‘Garheart’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Gerbera have more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Garheart’.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are lighter pink in         color than ray florets of plants of ‘Garheart’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Gerbera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gerbera plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Garsweetmemo’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn and winter in 19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Gerbera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 15° C. and night temperatures averaged 12° C. Plants were six months old when the photograph was taken and 20 weeks old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera hybrida ‘Garsweetmemo’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera             hybrida identified as code number 11T0675, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera             hybrida identified as code number 07T029, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings and meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, by cuttings, summer and             winter.—About 3.5 weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, by tissue culture, summer and             winter.—About 2.5 to 3 weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, by cuttings, summer             and winter.—About 3.5 weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to             26° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, by tissue culture,             summer and winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures             about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennial that is typically grown as             a container or garden plant; compact and uniformly mounding             plant habit; upright, broadly spreading and roughly             flattened globular in shape; numerous leaves arranged in             basal rosettes; dense and bushy habit; inflorescences held             above the foliar plane on erect and strong basal scapes;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 25             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About             36.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 52 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 23.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblanceolate to narrowly obovate; runcinate; slightly             curved.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Coarsely and irregularly angulate; sinuses medium to             deep and divergent; moderately undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Glabrous, smooth;             moderately glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Moderately to densely             pubescent, slightly rugose; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to between             141A and 147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             between 138A and 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to NN137A; venation, close to 144A to 144B. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 7.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Moderately             pubescent; slightly glossy. Strength: Moderate to strong.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 144A to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Composite inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences             borne on upright and strong scapes and held above the foliar             plane; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences face upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about three months             after planting; under garden conditions in The Netherlands,             plants flower from spring to autumn; plants can be flowered             year-round in the greenhouse.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on the temperature,             inflorescences last about three weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about 16 open and developing inflorescences per plant at one             time.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About             2.6 cm. Shape: Roughly globular. Texture and luster:             Moderately pubescent; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 143B;             immature ray florets, close to 176C and 176D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.9 cm. Diameter of disc: About 3.6 cm. Receptacle             height: About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 157D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 60 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Orientation:             Proximally, about 55° from vertical; distally, close to             horizontal. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 7.5 mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Finely emarginate to finely             praemorse. Base: Narrowly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety;             longitudinally ridged; matte. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety;             longitudinally ridged; slightly glossy. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to 48C. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 181C; fading towards the base, close to 174C. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to slightly lighter             than 48C; color becoming closer to 54C and proximally, close             to 59D, with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 300 massed at             center of receptacle in about eleven whorls. Length: About             2.1 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Tubular with upper two             narrow free lobes and one broader free lobe. Apex: Acute;             upper 50%, free. Base: Lower 50%, fused. Margin, free lobes:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             velvety; matte. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             very slightly velvety; slightly glossy. Color: When opening,             inner and outer surface: Close to 4D. Fully opened, inner             and outer surface: Proximally, close to 155B; distally,             close to NN155D.         -   Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: About 60. Length:             About 7 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture and luster:             Soft; matte. Color: Close to 162D; distally, lighter than             162D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 50 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             1.7 cm. Width (at base): About 2.5 mm. Shape: Ligulate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately             glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent; slightly glossy. Color, upper surface:             Close to 143C. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A to 143B.         -   Scapes.—Length: About 35.5 cm. Diameter: Proximally, about 5             mm; distally, about 4 mm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Angle: About 10° from vertical. Texture and luster:             Moderately to densely pubescent; moderately glossy. Color:             Proximally, close to 144A to 144B; distally, close to 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             7 mm. Filament color: Close to 150D. Anther shape: Ligulate;             basifixed. Anther size: About 4 mm by 0.3 mm. Anther color:             Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 13B. Gynoecium (present only on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About             1.1 cm. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft.             Stigma color: Close to NN155A. Style length: About 1 cm.             Style color: Close to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 157D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Gerbera to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Gerbera plants has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera     grown under commercial production conditions to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate high temperatures about     35° C. and to be cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Garsweetmemo’ as illustrated and described. 